Ancient Quote by E. J. W. Barber
“Unlike modern military codes, ancient texts are almost never purposely misleading, purposely scrambled. ... indeed, literacy was so uncommon until classical times that the very writing of a message sufficed to keep it from almost everybody.”
About This Quote
Source Article: “Ancient Texts and Intentional Obfuscation” by E. J. W. Barber, 1998
Barber notes that unlike modern military codes, ancient writings rarely aimed to mislead; literacy was rare, so simply writing a message kept it hidden.
In simple terms: Ancient texts weren’t designed to confuse; rarity of readers kept messages secret.
Key Takeaway
Consider historical communication limits.
Themes
history
communication
literacy
Mood
analytical
historical
Type
educational
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- archaeology
- military history
- education policy
Key Concepts
information theory
cryptography
Questions to Reflect On
- How did societies protect sensitive information before widespread literacy?
- What lessons can modern security learn from historical practices?
A Different Perspective
Even without deliberate encryption, limited literacy acted as a security layer.
